Chapter Text
Ice King. A strange nickname for a high school student, but one he had earned rightfully. As Sesshoumaru Tashio walked the halls of his school he barely paid attention to all the kids clearing a path for him from the front doors to the parking lot. Some shuddered in discomfort upon accidentally meeting his cold amber gaze, others whispered furiously; probably spreading some baseless rumor about him murdering one of the kids from school and burying him in his family’s garden. The perpetual cold mask he wore often left his thoughts and deeds to interpretation. Not that he cared much about what others thought about him, particularly not at his school. All the people there were mindless fools. Besides attending classes was a waste of his time. He already knew what he was going to be “when he grew up”.
He had already planned out his entire life. He had a solid fool-proof plan that would enable him to follow in his father’s footsteps and surpass him in all aspects. Graduate from high school. Go to college. Get a degree in business. Go to law school. Take over the family business from the old man. Impose the law firm as number one in the land. Friends, girlfriends were just useless distractions from his goals, so he had never sought out either.
His train of thought stopped suddenly. Some movement at the other end of the parking lot had caught his attention. From his spot his sensitive nose could smell the bitter, faintly sweet scent that he had come to associate with her.
He knew he was supposed to get in his car and drive away, but he could not. Like a siren she called to him and in just a few strides he was heading towards her.
Kagura Kagewaki. If he was ice, she was a blazing inferno. She always walked with her head held high and a smirk at the corner of her trademark red lips. As always she had shortened her uniform skirt to inches above the mandated length, displaying her toned legs, result of her passion for dancing. Not that the strict school disciplinarians would ever point out to her the many violations to the code of conduct. Her father was the richest real estate tycoon of the city and she had no issue flaunting her wealth and privilege in people’s faces. So she did as she pleased, damned the consequences. Sesshoumaru often wondered what it would be like living like this. It was simply unthinkable for someone like him who never undertook an action without measuring its impact on his life plan.
He envied her as much as he craved her. Sure, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but a part of him thought it was the sensation of ultimate confidence and freedom that she exuded that attracted her most to him. What would it be like to skip school and run around town living life a thousand miles an hour? Sometimes he wished he could break the mold he was stuck into and join her care-free lifestyle.
Kagura took a long drag on the pink-tinged cigarette perched between two of her slender fingers. Was it him, or did her smile widen as she saw him approaching. She blew a puff of smoke in his face as soon as he stopped close to her. Peach flavored cigarette. He knew because he had searched long and hard for the particular brand of nicotine she smoked. Faintly sweet, reminiscent of a sun-ripened fruit.
“Last time I checked, smoking on school property is forbidden.” He batted away the smoke. Despite the sweet undertone, it was still acrid and his inu youkai sense of smell did not enjoy the assault.
“Oh now you’re a pro at enforcing the school code of conduct?” She chuckled. “News flash, half the kids here think your murdered your half-brother and buried him somewhere.”
He had heard that ludicrous rumor. Little did people know their father had shipped the troubled Inuyasha to some boarding school to teach him discipline. Sesshoumaru did not care much about his younger half brother’s love life, but he knew his issues were related to some human he had been dating on and off for some time. The girl apparently could not fully accept Inuyasha and his youkai half, which strained their relationship and in turn wrecked havoc on the half-demon’s self-esteem. Unlike his hanyou half-sibling Sesshoumaru avoided romantic entanglements and stayed on the straight and narrow. These he knew were the surest ways to inherit the family business. That was precisely why he would never dare act on his feelings for the enticing wind witch.
Kagura blew another smoke donut towards him. In response he sent her a glare before he caught himself. She had the ability to make him lose his composure like no other.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist. You’ll be fine.” She interrupted herself to take another long drag of her cigarette. “Youkai can’t get cancer so this second-hand smoke won’t kill you.”
“As refined as ever Kagura. In case you haven’t noticed, your car is in my way.” He pointed toward the fiery red convertible obstructing the parking lot exit. Rarely had he been more grateful for someone’s reckless driving. Any excuse to talk to Kagura was a good one.
“You know, you’re not as bright as you think you are.” She stared at him straight in the eyes. Anyone who dared to try to do the same, including their teachers would have been reduced to a mass of quivering nerves. Not Kagura, she just smirked and smoked her pink cigarette. If he could he would have adored her even more in this moment.
Her words then registered. What did she mean by that? He worried she had seen through him. Could she know his true feelings towards her?
“There’s another perfectly fine exit that way.” She pointed to the other end of the lot. The one everyone had been using in fear of asking the infamous Kagura to move her car.
“Why should this Sesshoumaru go out of my way to go around you?”
She took one more puff on her cigarette before answering. “Oh Sesshoumaru, you don’t need an excuse if you want to come talk to me.”
His heart skipped a beat at her words. This conversation had gone on for too long. He needed to cut it short before Kagura picked apart more of him.
“Just remove your car.” He was glad to have managed to keep his voice even and calm; nothing to betray his true feelings for her. His cold mask still plastered on his face, he walked away.
He was already halfway to his car when he heard her call to him. Despite himself, he chanced a glance back towards her.
“Don’t worry Sesshy dear, I’ll get out of your way.”
How he wished she could keep that promise. To his horrific delight he routinely ran into Kagura all over school despite making efforts to see her as little as possible. He had even gone as far as pulling strings to change their class schedules to prevent having to sit for hours in the same room as her. Despite this he found himself consistently in the orbit of the wind sorceress as if she had cast a spell on him.
She flicked her cigarette on the ground and stomped on the still smoking peach colored stick. It took all of his self-control to turn back around and continue walking.
He suddenly felt a light breeze lifting his long hair and tickle the back of his neck. This time his resolve stayed strong and he did not turn to face the person he knew to be responsible for this light teasing. The wind fluttered with her sultry laugh and the air faintly smelled of smoke and ripe peaches. He had never wanted to take a bite of a forbidden fruit so bad in his life. Not that he would ever give in to that temptation. People were right. He was an unfeeling bastard with a heart made of ice.
Yet, Kagura was the only one able to make his heart thaw, but she would never know. She could never know. He was destined for greatness and a weakness such as her was not something he could afford.
To be continued…
A/N: Check back tomorrow to find out what happens next. Will Sesshoumaru give in to temptation? As a hint the next prompt is light green/remember. Looking forward to your reviews and your thoughts.